Restaurants and other food preparers and servers have long required simple means for heating or maintaining foods at an elevated temperature for extended periods of time. The need has been particularly strong for buffet service or for table service where some items are kept hot at the table.
Canisters containing jellied fuels, under the name CANNED HEAT, have been in use for many years. Next, canisters with liquid fuels were used. At first volatile alcohol fuels were used, but more recently fuels of low volatility, such as glycols, have come into use. The usual liquid fuel burner has a wick which concentrates the flame into a small area. There has been a need for a liquid fuel burner having a construction which spreads the flame over a substantial area for a less concentrated application of heat.
Devon U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,620 discloses a canned burner using a wax fuel and having a tubular wick which protrudes above the can at several points.
Huber U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,290 discloses a canned burner using a liquid fuel and a wick stone.
de la Rosa U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,053 discloses a canned burner using a liquid fuel and having a flat wick which protrudes above the can through an opening so that the middle portion of the wick is exposed and the ends are positioned in the liquid fuel.
Bandel U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,633 discloses a canned burner using a liquid fuel and having a central wick which protrudes above the can through a center opening. Glycol fuels are claimed as the novel feature.
Menter U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,986 discloses a canned burner using a liquid fuel and having a central flat folded wick which protrudes above the can through a center opening.
Norwegian patent No. 59,224 and British patent No. 845,639 disclose liquid fuel burners with special wick constructions.
The present invention is distinguished from this and other prior art by a disposable liquid fuel burner which comprises a container having a closed bottom, an enclosing sidewall and an open top and at least partially filled with a liquid fuel. A flat support member is supported adjacent the open top above the liquid fuel and having a centrally located opening receiving one end of an elongated wick of a fibrous material, e.g., cotton or glass fibers, overlying the support member and having its other end immersed in the liquid. The support member may be a cardboard or plastic disk supported on legs or a cylinder or may be a cup-shaped member. A fibrous bat of a refractory, non-combustible material, e.g., glass fibers, substantially fills the open top and overlies the support member and the end of the wick supported thereon. A bat of a plastic, e.g., polyurethane, foam material overlies the fibrous bat. A top cover is secured on the container closing the open top and is at least partially removable, e.g. removable cover or pull-tab opening cover, to expose the plastic foam bat, whereby the burner may be ignited with the flame extending substantially uniformly from said entire top opening and continuing to burn until extinguished or said liquid fuel is exhausted. The plastic foam bat is combustible and burns off in use with the flame being subsequently emitted from the surface of said fibrous bat.